The Chief Executive of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation (NCIC) has spoken out during Hate Crime Awareness Week to condemn physical and verbal aggression experienced by colleagues.
Trudie Davies, Chief Executive at NCIC, said: “Very sadly, we are hearing that our colleagues are experiencing an increasing amount of racial discrimination both at work and while in the community.
“We are proud that over 13 per cent of our colleagues are from ethnic minority backgrounds and come from over 72 countries. We celebrate and value diversity and we couldn’t run our services without them. It’s very sad and upsetting to hear what some of them are having to deal with.
“At NCIC we will not tolerate racism, violence or aggression of any sort. We are encouraging colleagues to report verbal and physical aggression and we will do everything we can to support them where they experience it.”
The Trust’s HUMAN campaign posters are across the Trust’s sites featuring close up images of local staff, to remind patients, families and the community to treat health care professionals with kindness and respect.
Trudie added: “As a Trust it’s important we do as much as we can to protect our staff while at work. Our HUMAN campaign shows that regardless of our background, our colleagues are all human too, each with their own personal lives, responsibilities and vulnerabilities.
“When our staff face aggression or sometimes even physical violence, it can have a serious impact on their shift, their day, their wellbeing and ultimately their ability to provide high quality care. This can sometimes result in instances where staff are then absent from work and have a much longer term impact on their health. NHS staff are here to help you and they deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.”